Archive.org has really old movies that you can watch, I don't know of many sites at all that will give away 1950s-1970s movies. Most places for download, be it on imdb, amazon, Warner Archive, a dvd company's site, charges something, they don't try to give away their product for free.

Archive.org has a great selection of movies, BUT, quality varies between good and lousy.

To download a burnable decent quality copy, the source file should be MPEG2, which would entail a file size of between 2 and 3 gig. Most of the movies I saw the other day over there were in very compressed alternative file types, which would notmake very watchable DVDs.

Marr&Colton wrote:Archive.org has a great selection of movies, BUT, quality varies between good and lousy.

To download a burnable decent quality copy, the source file should be MPEG2, which would entail a file size of between 2 and 3 gig. Most of the movies I saw the other day over there were in very compressed alternative file types, which would notmake very watchable DVDs.

OK but burning movies is a bit of a waste of time. Discs are on their way out. I stopped converting stuff to video-DVD a decade ago.

I've downloaded some very good quality video transfers from Archive.org. Unfortunately the new posts usually are not on Mpeg2, so I have to be happy with the many that are. MP4 is the new file type of choice on many new posts, but they are always formatted for a 16:9 tv screen which is not what I use with my theatre.

There may be new technologies, but for my hobby and home theatre, DVD and BluRay work fine with excellent picture on the big theatre screen. With DVD Shrink I can assemble the shorts, cartoons and trailers as well as break the feature for an intermission title, since I usually have guests who want at least one break during the feature.

It is old technology, but with a large collection of DVDs that will take many years to show at my weekly movie parties, I'll stick with the old.

I often use DVD Shrink, and you can put several movies together - but they are just one after the other, like on a VHS - you can't make a menu in order to watch directly one of the movies ? Or am I wrong ?

todmichel wrote:I often use DVD Shrink, and you can put several movies together - but they are just one after the other, like on a VHS - you can't make a menu in order to watch directly one of the movies ? Or am I wrong ?

You'd need to create menus with DVD authoring software which can create menus, such as VideoRedo, in addition to (or in place of) using DVD Shrink.

With a dual-layer disc you could get two features....but DON'T use the "automatic" setting for compression or you will losesharpness and video quality---I never compress, because it is noticeable on the screen.

Buster95 wrote:Any good sites where I can find and download (legally and without virus) old movies (HD) for free from the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s?

This is a good website although the majority of the movies are common pd titles with mediocre prints (often coming from Alpha releases) https://free-classic-movies.com/ but there are plenty of rare gems too like old British movies, several Cecily Courtneige vehicles including THINGS ARE LOOKING UP with the very young Vivien Leigh in a bit that I've never seen anywhere else.

todmichel wrote:I often use DVD Shrink, and you can put several movies together - but they are just one after the other, like on a VHS - you can't make a menu in order to watch directly one of the movies ? Or am I wrong ?

There is a program that can take a menu-less DVD and give it a basic menu. Apparently the (free) programs needed are either TitleWriter or DVD Lab Pro.